What Happened on January 24?

January 24 is the International Day of Education, a UN celebration of learning everywhere. It's also the day a carpenter spotted gold in a California river and started one of the biggest treasure rushes in history!

• 1848 — Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill, starting the California Gold Rush

  Carpenter James Marshall spotted sparkling flakes in the American River while building a sawmill — and within a year, 300,000 fortune hunters were racing to California. Read the full story →

• 1965 — Winston Churchill dies at age 90

  Britain's WWII prime minister, famous for his 'we shall never surrender' speeches, died in London exactly 70 years after his father. Read the full story →

• 1986 — Voyager 2 sweeps past Uranus — humanity's only visit so far

  NASA's Voyager 2 flew within 50,600 miles of Uranus's cloud tops, discovering 11 new moons and finding a magnetic field tilted like no other planet's. Read the full story →

• 2004 — Rover Opportunity lands on Mars for a 90-day mission

  The six-wheeled rover touched down in a Martian crater and kept rolling for nearly 15 years — more than 50 times longer than planned. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) · Neil Diamond (1941) · John Belushi (1949–1982)

Days & observances

International Day of Education · National Compliment Day · Global Belly Laugh Day